Fruit-picker&#39;s basket.



PATENT'BD APR. 9, i190?.

F. GARTMEL. FRUIT PICKERS BASKET. APPLIOATION FILED 1950.6. 190e.

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l UNITED .STATES FRANK cARTMEL, or JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

FRUIT-PICKERS BASKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed December 6, 1906. Serial No. 346,558.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK CARTMEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Fruit-Pickers Basket, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved fruit-pickers basket arranged to permit the picker to conveniently empty the basket of its contents without danger of bruising or otherwise injuring the fruit and without requiring removal of the basket from the picker, the basket being collapsible 'and when collapsed takes up very little room, thus allowing convenient storing, handling, and shipping of empty baskets.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A prac-tical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improvement in an extended position and the bottom and drop-door open. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the improvement. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 and showing more particularly the fastening device for the drop-bottom, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the improvement in a partly-collapsed condition.

The body A of the basket is preferably made of canvas or other suitable and iiexible fabric material, and the said body A is preferably semicircular in shape and is provided with a curved side to properly fit the pickers body. The upper and lower ends of the body A are open and connected with hoops A A2, preferably made of metal, and the body A is held in extended position in the direction of its length by stays C, pivotally connected with the top and bottom hoops A A2 at the sides thereof, each stay C being preferably made in sections C C2, hinged to the corresponding hoops A A2 and pivotally connected with each other by a vpivot C3, so as to allow of swinging the sections C C2 into an angular position relative to each other whenever it is desired to collapse the body A, as indicated 1n Fig. 5. Normally the sectionsC C2 of the stays C are in alinement and are locked in alined position, so as to hold the body A extended'in the direction of its length, as indicated in Fig. 1. For the purpose described one of the sections-as shown, the section C2*is provided with an extension C4, adapted to be engaged by a collar C5, mounted to slide on the other section C and adapted to be passed over the extension C4, so as to hold the sections C and C2 locked in an extended position, as plainly indicated in Fig. l.

The lower end of the body A is adapted to be closed by a drop-door D, preferably made of canvas or a like fabric material, attached to a hoop D, iitting inside the bottom hoop A2 of the body A, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3. The ilat side of the hoop D is connected hoop A2, and on the free side of the hoop D is held a spring-catch F, having a lug F adapted to engage the top of the hoop A2, so as to holdrthe drop-bottom D locked in a closed position. The spring-catch F is provided at its bottom with an outwardly-extending handle F2, adapted to be taken hold of by the picker to press the spring-catch F inward, so as to disengage the lug F from lthe hoop A2 to allow the bottom D to swing downward into an open position, as indicated in Fig. 1. The upper hoop A2 of the body A is provided with a suitable carrying-strap Gr for conveniently attaching the basket to the picker.

Now when the basket is in use and the drop-door D is closed and the body A is held in an extended position, then the picker can conveniently fill the basket with fruit, and

when the basket is filled and it isv desired to empty the same it is only necessary for the picker to press the spring-catch F inwardly to unlock the bottom D, thus allowing the bottom to swing downward into an open position. Now when this takes place the fruit contained in the basket can easily roll out of the same through the open bottom ,by hinges E with the flat side of the bottom IOC into a suitable receptacle without danger of bruisingor otherwise injuring the fruit and without detaching the basket from the pickers body. After the basket is emptied of its contents it is only necessary for the picker to swing the bottom into a closed position, in which it is locked by the spring-catch F.

IIO

When it is desired to shi handle, or store the empty baskets, then t ey are collapsed, and for this purpose it is only necessary for the picker to slide the collar C5 upward out of engagement with the extension C4 to allowr the sections C C2 of the stays C to swing into an angular position, (see Fig. 5,) whereby the flexible body A collapses and takes up very little room.

The fruit-pickers basket shown and described is very simple and durable in con struction and is not liable to get o'ut of order.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A fruit-pickers basket comprising a flexible body open at the top and bottom and provided with hoops at the top and bottom, a hinged drop-door Jfor the said open bottom, a locking device for the said door, a carryingstrap connected with the top hoop, stays pivotally connected with the said top and bottom hoops and made in sections pivotally connected with each other, one of the sec'-l tions being extended beyond the pivotal connection of the said sections, and a collar slidable on the stays for locking the same in an extended position.

2. A fruit-pickers basket, comprising a flexible body provided with hoops at the top and bottom, a door forming the bottom of the basket, stays pivotally connected with the said top and bottom hoops and made in sections pivotally connected with each other, one of the sections being extended beyond the pivotal connection of the said sections, and a collar slidable on the stays for locking the same in an extended position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication in the presence of 4o two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK CARTMEL.

Witnesses:

IV. H. NALL, A. R. CARTMEL. 

